"Oregon: End of the Frontier" Oregon by hindu1936

Oregon Travel Guide: 5,779 reviews and 12,019 photos

Lakes, Mountains, Ocean, Desert, Oregon has it all

I, my brother, and seven sisters were all born in Oregon, as was my father, and his mother. Except for me, my whole family still lives there, and most of them within 30 minutes of the homeplace. Oregon Is the 10th largest state, but in the 10 smallest for population. The state is divided by the Cascade Mountains, and has the Coastal range-yep- close to the Pacific Ocean. We younger children grew up in Sweet Home, Oregon and my 4th oldest sister Bernice still lives in the same home we bought in 1945.

Oregon does not have a lot of industry since it is primarily an agricultural state, but several large companies are headquartered there; Hewlett-Packard, Oregon Freeze Dried Foods, Wah Chang (who makes the nose cones for the missiles and did for the Apollo shots) Pendelton Clothing, to name a few. Timber was the main source of income for most Oregonians for more than a hundred years, followed by Wheat, Cherries, beans, and a host of well known flower farmers.

Okay, so that's who we are. What is offered? Nine ski mountains, great fishing, good hunting, clean air, clean water, friendly people, open spaces, small towns, (there are only three large ones, Portland, Salem and Eugene) several leading universities, excellent highways, NO SALES TAX!

Cross the Cascades to the east and you are in the high plateau desert country. Bend is a thriving city in the center of the state and not far from there is Bachelor Mountain with some of the finest skiing the world. The Deschutes offers good German Brown trout fishing and both salmon and steelhead can be caught on the John Day river. The Columbia Gorge, besides being one of the most scenic places in the states, is home to the best, bar none, wind surfing. People from every country arrive by the bus loads to challenge the Columbia winds.

The mountains have lakes that are easily reached by car. For the more adventurous, there are also lakes that require days to hike into. The Pacific Ridge Trail traverses Oregon and while it is not exactly a wilderness adventure, it does offer a measure of solitude.

Pros and Cons

Pros:The environment cannot be beaten
Cons:Little industry means few jobs

Last visit to Oregon: Jul 2006
Intro Updated Jun 8, 2009
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Reviews (9)

The nerve wracking traffic jam east of LaPine, Or - Oregon

Getting away from the crowds Transportation (1)

For those who have eagerly awaited the magnificent insights I am sure I would have given as we traveled around the... more travel advice

Go to a Pow Wow Things to Do (4)

For thousands of years, different tribes have held gatherings in order to exchange produce, meet prospective mates,... more travel advice

that black dot could be the whale - Oregon

whale watching Things to Do (4)

There are many look out points that for convenience, have coin operated telescopes where you can watch the whales. On... more travel advice

Watch the glassblower Things to Do (4)

Just off Hghway 101, north of Siletz you will see a sign advertising ceramics. Turn right and (driving carefully-it's a... more travel advice

Off The Beaten Path (2)
See All Go to the lakes

Warnings Or Dangers (2)
See All traffic laws

Comments (15)

ChristinaNest Oct 19, 2011 at 4:34 AM Report Abuse

Enjoyed reading your page! Sorry your trip got postponed - good luck in 2012! How have you been? I hope life is good! Greetings from Bulgaria!
mvtouring Mar 12, 2010 at 6:49 AM Report Abuse

"Oregan looks like a lovely place. The pow wow must be quite something to attend ;-)
icunme Sep 7, 2009 at 1:06 PM Report Abuse

Beautiful! Friends joined the big exodus from CA to Oregon and never looked back!
starship Jul 18, 2009 at 11:52 AM Report Abuse

Nice page! I have never visited Oregon, but it obviously is very beautiful. It's sad to hear there is so much theft there, especially when low crime would help so much to lure tourists.
pg12359 Jun 8, 2009 at 5:30 AM Report Abuse

Been once to Oregon and it's exactly as you describe. Thanks for your comments on my page! Paul
Yaqui Jun 6, 2009 at 7:52 AM Report Abuse

Oregon looks beautiful. Some wonderful warning tips, to bad they did not listen. I think that is some of the problem with the major cities in Cal. Many of tourist do not heed the laws. Nice page!
junecorlett May 11, 2009 at 5:45 AM Report Abuse

Very good tips Joe, the warning about locking away valubles, and keeping them out of sight applies to South Africa too, remember that when you visit.
lynnehamman Apr 28, 2009 at 7:17 PM Report Abuse

Excellent, honest reviews about Oregan, Joe. I hope that the rate of theft has dropped by now. Its a pandemic in Australia too. The lakes look pristine and inviting. Thanks
csordila Mar 19, 2009 at 11:32 PM Report Abuse

You are right Joe. This environment cannot be beaten. Best. Laszlo
Ekahau Nov 25, 2006 at 5:40 AM Report Abuse

Oregon lis just so so beautiful Joe and the Metolius river very nice